Sermon Title: Missionary God

Missionary God (9.17.17) 1

First Reading 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

19Though I am freeand belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone,to win as many as possible.20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),so as to win those under the law.21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law(though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),so as to win those not having the law.22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.I have become all things to all peopleso that by all possible means I might save some.23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Second Reading Luke 14:16-23

16Jesus replied:“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

22“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

23“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

There was a man caught in a flood. Someone came by his house with a truck saying, "Get in, it is only going to get worse." The man responded, "No thank you, God will save me." Sure enough the waters rose, and someone came by in a boat and said, "Get in, it is only going to get worse." The man responded, "No thank you, God will save me." The waters kept on rising so someone came with a helicopter and said, "Get in, it is only going to get worse!" Standing out on his roof because the flood was so high he said for a third time, "No thank you God will save me!" Eventually the man was washed away in the flood. When He stood before God he said, "God why didn't you save me?" God's response was "I sent a truck, a boat, and a helicopter, what else do you want!?"
When God wants to rescue people who are in trouble it is almost always through other people! In fact when God undertook the most audaciousrescue operation in the history of the cosmos what did He do? Did He come down in fire and brimstone, with an impressive laser light show, overwhelming us with His awe inspiring power? No, when God wanted to save humanity, He added humanity to His deity in Jesus. John chapter 1 says that the eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Alan Hirsh rightly notes that we serve a missionary God! A God who does not wait for us to come to Him. Instead, in mission, He came to us in Jesus and continues to come to us by the power of the Holy Spirit!
This morning we are continuing our series entitled Disciple Makers. In this series we are considering how we can be lead by God to fulfill the purpose for which we exist. The purpose of Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. When considering the fact that God is a missionary God, the first step in making disciples of the nations is to engage the nations. Engage the nations so we can participate in the life of the missionary God we worship.
But when I look at the church in North America I don't know if I see a missionary people. I worry that we look more like the first church of the frozen chosen than a missionary people sent by a missionary God. How is that fixed? While considering this parable of a great banquet in Luke 14 we will answer this question by answering three other questions. First, who are we? Second, given our identity, why do we engage people around us? Finally, how then shall we engage people? How can we engage them with the love of God so they might put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior?
Before considering why we do things, and how we do things, however, we have to decide who we are? At the core of our being who are we, really?
At the beginning of the parable, Jesus presents two kinds of people. A servant of the master, and invited guests with all the excuses in the world. I have heard it put this way, are we fans or a followers of Jesus? A fan comes as long as it is easy, as long as there is nothing we have to sacrifice. When the invited guests excuse themselves notice how none of them say "If I knew it was coming, I would have made the time." Jesus opens the parable by saying starting in verse 16, "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. verse 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.'" They knew the banquet was coming up.
The time between invitation and everything being ready would have been significant. Think about it, you didn't just run down to Sam's club and buy some hamburgers and hotdogs and throw them on the grill. You had to slaughter the animal butcher the animal, and cook the animal after, of course, you made the fire to cook the animal. How about bread? Harvest the wheat, mill it, and bake it. If the people who were invited did not come do you just throw the left over's in the fridge and eat them later? No, that time, money, and energy is wasted.They knew the banquet was coming they just didn't care.
Think about some of the excuses we use to not participate in the church. Oh it is such a nice day, I'll just enjoy God's creation instead of going to church, as if we are here all day. Oh it is so nasty out I don't want to go out in this. Oh, its Memorial Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther Day, Arbor Day, weekend, I have to get started on the celebration! Oh, I have a telemarketer calling, can't miss that! Someone said in reference to starting an exercise routine, "If something is important,you make it happen. If it is not, you make excuses!" If we are just fans of Jesus we will continue to make excuses of why it is not easy, convenient, or not the right time, to engage in mission with Him. If we are followers we will make it happen!
If we want to participate in the life of our missionary God we have to be followers not just fans! To engage lost hurting and broken people with God's love, grace, and forgiveness we have to first determine who we are, and more importantly, who's we are! The servants of the king don't whine when the master tells them to go back out. They don't say, "Aw master, I'm worn out I don't want to go out and invite other people, let's just eat the food an all it a day!" Fans are in charge of their money, time, and energy. Followers have surrendered their money, time, energy, their very identity, to the Lord of the cosmos. It is as a follower that we participate in the life of the missionary God.
If we are to engage people in the greatest rescue mission this cosmos has ever seen who are we? Not just fans of Jesus but followers of our Lord and Savior. As servants of the King, why do we engage people around us?
When the servant came back and reported to the master all of the excuses the invited guests gave does he tell the servants to go back out and beg the invited guests? No, he says go to the undesirables, the crippled, poor, the lame. Why would he do that? Because he did not make the dinner and invite the guests for his sake. This banquet was not put on so that people would like him, and he could feel better about himself. Instead he put it on for the sake of those he invited! So why do we invite people to church?
Why do we want more people to come to church? I need reminded, perhaps we all do, that it is not for our sake, but for the sake of those we have invited. We engage the community so we have a chance to grow numerically. But we do not want to grow numerically for our sake, but for the sake of those we are reaching out to. We don't want new people so we can have more butts in the pews and bucks in the offering plate. If we are followers of our missionary God we reach out because people are hurting and broken. Think about what we are anxious over in the church. Are our anxieties about how a ministry, or initiative will affect ourselves, or are we anxious about how we can reach people who are hurting?
I mean look into the eyes, really look into the eyes, of our friends, neighbors, loved ones, servers at restaurants, and cashiers in the check out isle. Turn on the news, everywhere you look people are hurting, broken, and lost, and Jesus is the answer, period!When we say that we serve a missionary God we are remembering that God came down to earth in the flesh not for his sake but for ours. He loves us with reckless abandon. After all in his first letter John writes "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved usand sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
The only thing that blows my mind more is that God feels the same way about the world He sends us into. That's why we engage people in our community. That's why we do Trunk or Treat, Sports Camp, and the like. They are fun, but the ultimate reason is so that we, as the body of Christ, can engage people with the love of the missionary God we worship!
Who are we? Children of the king of the Universe and missionary God. Why do we engage people? So they can be invited to experience God's redeeming love. How do we engage people?
When the master tells his servant to invite the undesirables of their time how does he tell him to do it? Go out and tell them to put on a tie, get clean shaven, then they will be worthy to come in. Go out and make sure they act like the invited guests, then they can come in. No, instead he says go out into the highways and byways, compel them to come in. Go to where they are and urge them to come as they are.
This is what Paul was getting at in 1 Corinthians 9 when writing, starting in verse 20, "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),so as to win those under the law.21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law(though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),so as to win those not having the law.22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.I have become all things to all peopleso that by all possible means I might save some.23I do all this for the sake of the gospel..."
Brothers and sisters in Christ, when engaging people in our community with God's love we needto be willing to do anything short of sin to invite them into a saving relationship with Christ. We need to be willing to act like a fool with kids at Sports Camp, VBSC, or Trunk or Treat. We have to be willing to go to a bar and hope and pray that some people will show up so we can share God's love with them. We have to be willing to launch a worship service in which people uncomfortable with church can come in and feel comfortable and welcome.
Using a truck, boat, and helicopter in the midst of a flood, or in one of the ministries we are doing, when the missionary God engages the world with His saving love He does it through people. As we depart today let's remember who we are, why we follow, and how we follow. We are followers of Jesus Christ, the missionary God. We engage others so that they may experience His redeeming love. We do it by reaching out to the broken hearted just as He reached out to us. Willing to do anything short of sin, even die on a cross, to engage the broken with His wholeness and love.
Let us pray: Lord of the universe and missionary God send us out to engage the world with Your hope, peace, and redeeming love! Amen!
Receive this blessing and benediction: Let us go forth a missionary people sent out to engage the world by our missionary God!